Apple's Mac App Store opens for business 6 January

The pre-Christmas launch never materialised, but app-loving fanboys won't have to wait too much longer for the latest Apple foray into the app market.

The world's biggest tech company has just confirmed the official live date for the Mac App Store - 6 January.

Yep, that's the same date CES kicks off. The biggest technology trade show in the world, that Apple doesn't bother turning up to. They don't miss a trick, those boys from Infinite Loop.

“The App Store revolutionised mobile apps”, said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We hope to do the same for PC apps with the Mac App Store by making finding and buying PC apps easy and fun. We can’t wait to get started on 6 January”.

The Mac App Store is a free download for Mac OS X Snow Leopard users. In it you'll be able to "browse new and noteworthy apps, find out what’s hot, view staff favourites, search categories and read customer ratings and reviews" - sound familiar?

Apple has clearly decided not to change a winning formula, with the set up being an almost like-for-like copy of the iPhone and iPad App Stores. The sales revenue split is 70/30, as per the iOS one, and developers set the prices.

Don't expect to see any lite or free apps appearing in the store though, Apple's official guidelines state:

"Your website is the best place to provide demos, trial versions, or betas of your software for customers to explore. The apps you submit to be reviewed for the Mac App Store should be fully functional, retail versions of your apps".

The Mac App Store was first announced at Apple's Back to the Mac event in October.